Electric sign



July 7, 1931. 1.. 1. MATTHEWS ELECTRIC 5 IGN Filed June 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 7, 1931. MATTHEWS 1,813,414

ELECTRIC SIGN Filed June 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES LOUIS I. MATTHEWS, OF MERION, PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRIC SIGN Application fl led June 5,

This invention relates to electric signs and particularly to that type of sign known in the art as the luminous type sign wherein the characters are made up of tubes filled with 6 such gases as neon, argon or other rare gases. I

These gases give various colors upon the passage of the current, and, as is well known, such signs are made up with the tubes in series, the amount of current used being relatively small, although the voltage is generally stepped up b means of a transformer.

Heretofore suc signs have been somewhat limited in their application,for the reason that each individual sign has been, so to speak, a tailor-made job. Because of the necessity of placing all of the tubes of a dis play in series relation, no attempt has been made to develop a sign with interchangeable characters, the assumption apparently having been that the relation between the characters of any individual sign will always be different, and consequently that the terminals or electrodes for each character will come at a different place with relation to the terminals or electrodes of the next character, thereby precluding the possibility of using any fixed or permanent arrangement of terminals.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a sign of the luminoustube character in which a display panel is equipped with a plurality of fixed or permanent terminals.

or electrodes (preferably in the form of a plurality of sockets) across which a plurality of standard characters may be interchangeably connected so as to make up a display having all of its characters in series relation.

How the foregoing object is attained, as well as any other object which is incidental to my invention, or which may appear hereinafter, is illustrated in a preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a face view of a display panel embodying my improvements.

2 is a rear elevation of the panel with a portion of the back cover removed in order to illustrate the interior arrangements more clearly.

a is connected to the uppe 1929. Serial No. 368,525.

gig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, an

Fig. 4 shows a group of characters suitably formed for use in my improved sign.

It will be understood, of course, that the particular arran ement of terminals or sockets and the speci c configuration of the characters illustrated in these drawings are not to be considered as limiting my invention, since other arrangements of the parts can be adopted in attaining-the object disclosed.

In the embodiment illustrated my improved sign comprises a box-like panel 5 having a transparent or open face at 6 through which the display is visible, the protecting cover or lid at the back suitably hinged at 8 and retained in closed position by spring catches 9, and the interior supporting member 5a which is preferably composed of some suitable insulating material such as bakelite.

The transformer 10 indicates the source of current, the wire 11.on one side constituting the main terminal for one end of the display and the wire 12 on the other side performing tlie same function for the other end of the disp ay.

Between these terminal wires 11 and 12 are arranged, in the supporting member 5a, a plurality of groups of terminals (1, which, in the present lnstance, are each composed of four electrodes 13 preferably in the shape of suitable sockets into which the characters can be readily plugged as will appear below. As shown the upper pair of te'rminals'or sockets in each group are connected together by a wire 14 and the lower pair by a wire 15. Adjacent groups of terminals are connected together by a wire 16 which oins the upper terminals of one group with the lower terminals of the succeeding group. The main terminal wire ll is connected to the lower sockets of the first group and the main terminal wire 12 r sockets of the last group as clearly seen in Fig. 2. I

It will now be apparent that a series of standard luminous tube characters can be constructed, each of which is provided with a pair of terminals which can be plugged across the upper and lower sockets in any socket group, and that a complete display can be the circuit between the made up in this way in which all of the characters will be connected in series. F urthermore, each character can be made so as to be interchangeable with any other character.

Fig. 4 is introduced simply to show one way in which each character of the alphabet and each numeral can be formed for use in my improved sign. For example, take the letter A which I have designed to have its terminals at 17 and 18. The tube of which this character is formed will be extended as seen in Fig. 4 to form the lower part 19 of the left hand leg of the letter, and then across to form the cross bar 20 and then down as indicated in dotted lines at 21 in back of the lower portion of the right hand leg 22. The downwardly extending portion 21 will be upwardly bent and extended to the upper terminal 18 to form the right hand leg 22 and will then curve downwardly toward the lower portion 19 of the left hand leg in order to form the upper portion 23 of such leg. From here the tube will be bent back upon itself as indicated in dotted lines at 24, the part 24 being connected to the terminal 18 in order to complete two terminals 17 and 18.

- In a similar manner each one of the letters or characters illustrated may be constructed, and in the showing of Fig. 4 I have illustrated the form which I prefer to use for each of these characters, the dotted line in each instance indicating where the tube is bent back or doubled upon itself for the sake of making a proper connection to the terminals which are in each instance indicated by the small circles, and, as will be seen, one terminal in each instance being located so as to fit into one or the other of the upper sockets of any group and the other terminal so as to fit into one or the other of the lower sockets of any group.

The reverting portions of the characters may either be directly in back of the portiosn which form the face of the display (the arrangement which I prefer) so that they will not be seen as separate parts, or, in some instances, they can be run parallel with each other where it would not ofiend the eye to have a portion of the letter thicker than an other portion, or they can be run in almost any direction or position desired, provided they are coated with a non-transparent substance so as not to be luminous, such substance conforming to the color scheme of the supporting panel 5a in order to cause no confusion in the display.

The terminals such as the terminals 17 and 18 of the character A in each of the characters can be formed as suitable plugs so that each character can be readily plugged into" the position desired.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated the characters A, B, C and D with a space between the B and the C, the characters A and B representin for example, one word, and the characters and D another word.

The space will bebridged' by any suitable conducting device 25 adapted to be plugged across the terminals of the group in which the space appears, the portion which crosses the panel 5a being non-luminous and of the same color as the background of the panel so as not to be seen in the display.

It will, therefore, be seen that I have provided an arrangement whereby all of the letters of a sign of this character can be laced in series upon the supporting pane and wherein each character can be used in any position so that the dis lay may be changed quickly and easily wit out the necessity of making any supplementary connections between terminals. A standard sign of my improved character can be easily and chea ly manufactured and new letters can be readily inserted in case of breakage or burning out.

It will be seen, therefore, that my improved sign lends itself very well to standardization in manufacture. The panels can be of an desired or preferred construction and can e grouped together to form any desired number of lines, ust so long as the terminals of each line are properly connected together so that the entire display, when completed, will be in series. The characters can also be standardized and it will, of course, be understood that the particular characters which I have illustrated do not necessarily have to be used in every instance, as other shapes or styles of letters can be adopted, ust so long as they conform to the panels with which they are to be used. The signs can be sold to the user with whatever characters may be adapted to his business without the necessity of having to carry in stock a large number of different panels or letters to be used therewith.

What I claim is 1. In a sign, the combination of a anel, a plurality of groups of permanent y arranged terminals, a pair of terminals in each group being adapted to be connected in series by a character in the display, a permanent series connection between groups, and a pluralityof luminous characters adapted to be interchangeably coupled into any group as aforesaid to make up a display having all the characters in series relation.

2'. In a sign, the combination of a panel, a plurality of socket groups, a plurality of luminous characters adapted to be interehangeably plugged into a pair of sockets in any group to connect said sockets in series, and means connecting the groups in-series.

3. In a sign, the combination of a panel, a plurality of socket groups, a plurality of luminous characters adapted to be interchangeably plugged into a pair of sockets in any group to connect said sockets in series,

and means connecting the groups in series, together with a circuit completing member adapted to be plugged into any group where a character is omitted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

LOUIS I. MATTHEWS. 

